COUNTRY DARLINGS:
Technically, Tim McGraw has first booking on the Soul2Soul tour with wife Faith Hill, and though both have had successful careers, Hill is still the more recognizable name in most circles. While McGraw performed with Nelly on the successful (though brain-jarringly painful) duet "Over and Over" and has had some crossover success with his cover of Ryan Adams' "When the Stars Go Blue," Hill has earned far more mainstream buzz, leaving her husband in the country dust while she struts national and international airwaves with pop hits such as "This Kiss," "Breathe
" and "The Way You Love Me." The pair married in 1996 and made a pledge to never be apart for more than three consecutive days, which is a large part of why they created the Soul2Soul Tour (and brilliantly so, as last year's tour is the highest-grossing country music tour of all time). The duo is a force to be reckoned with, receiving a combined 13 Country Music Association Awards, 13 American Music Awards, 23 Academy of Country Music Awards and seven People's Choice Awards. (Claire Taylor)

MOTOWN SOUL:
Apparently the trappings of a more ordinary life were irresistible for four out of five of the original Temptations, the five-man soul group synonymous with doo-wop, soul and the institution of Motown. Since forming in 1960 (they were initially a Detroit group called the Elgins), the Temptations have sold well over 22 million albums and scored 18 No. 1 singles on the Billboard charts,
plus three Grammy awards. Founding member Otis Williams is keeping the Temptations alive, delivering some fresh material and all the classy old onstage choreography. As for the Four Tops (another successful Motown band), Abdul "Duke" Fakir is the only remaining original member; the other three (Levi Stubbs, Renaldo Benson and Lawrence Payton) are replaced by Payton's son Roquel, Ronnie McNair and Theo Peoples. (Mike Connor)

Steel Pulse

BIRMINGHAM RASTA:
Steel Pulse is one of the finest touring reggae acts in the world, and maybe the finest reggae band ever to come out of Birmingham, England, a town better known for Sabbath and mill work than sun-drenched songs of Jah. Since meeting at the Handsworth Woods Boys School, this duo has had not only a career, but a life together creating a body of work known for its social activism and melodic content. Showing no signs of either slowing down or stopping, this group continues to tour relentlessly, create prolifically and groove endlessly. Not too shabby for some chaps that come from a town that Monty Python refers to as "the third World of England."

Colin Hay

NEEDLING THE HAY:
Straight from a land down under is Scottish-Australian musician Colin Hay, formerly of the '80s pop band Men at Work. After decent success with Men at Work, Colin went solo after the group's break-up in 1985. With nine solo albums, Hay has enjoyed success on his own and continues to tour throughout the world. His songs have been used for television shows such as Judging Amy, Dawson's Creek and Scrubs. Known for his humorous performances, Hay keeps his wife in tow, often providing back-up vocals for him, and is known to dance around wildly onstage.

Unko Atama

HATED BY 9 OUT OF 10 PARENTS:
Getting down and dirty at The Caravan on Thursday night are local bands Unko Atama, All Time Highs and Cheapskate. Unko Atama's love of leather and punk rock influences their hardcore sound, making for an exciting show. The Bay Area-based trio rocks hard with a sound that will have your ears ringing but a show that makes it all worth it. Completing the bill is another Bay Area punk band, Cheapskate, who churn out punk rock sounds that your parents would hate. Free loud music and cheap strong drinks equal a good time on a Thursday night at the 'Van.

Thu. Aug. 9, 5:30pm
Music in the Park
Plaza de Cesar Chavez,
Market St. and Park Ave.,
San Jose
Free

D'wayne Wiggins (Tony! Toni! Toné!)

HE'S DONE IT AGAIN:
Soul man D'Wayne Wiggins has quite a list of accomplishments--14 Billboard hits, a couple platinum albums and a successful production biz make the Oakland native quite a renaissance man of the music industry. Once a member of the neo-soul trio Tony! Toni! Toné, along with his brother, Raphael and cousin, Timothy Christian, Wiggins and the gang proved they had the right stuff straight out of the gate with their debut single, "Little Walter," in 1988. Today, Wiggins continues to dish out the hits, releasing a batch of notable R&B tunes of his own as well as working with top-shelf stars like Destiny's Child, rapper Too Short and Keyshia Cole. After the show, head over to the VooDoo Lounge for the official Metroactive Music in the Park after party, "Reggae After Dark," featuring DJs I-Vier and Robert Rankin.

Deep Rooted @ VooDoo Lounge

REGGAE AFTER DARK:
One of the official Music in the Park After Parties will be rocking the VooDoo Lounge with deep rooted reggae. DJs I-Vier and Robert Rawkin will be spinning reggae to the crowds that will already be in the mood after D'Wayne Wiggins' soul-filled performance in Plaza de Cesar Chavez. The VooDoo Lounge will be off the hook as usual with great music, bartenders and people. Since this is an official "Reggae After Darsk" party it will keep the good vibes from the park going on throughout the night.

Music in the Park After Party @ Angels

THE REAL DEAL:
Metroactive and Angels Ultra Lounge team up to put a Music in the Park After Party on hosted by the afternoon's performer, D'Wayne Wiggins. The Oakland native who was once part of the glorious Tony! Toni! Toné! will be around to enjoy the good vibes, and perhaps even handle the turntables? Angels will have drinks being slung from two full bars all night long and as always, loads of beautiful women. The Angels event with D'Wayne Wiggins hosting is the real deal for a Music in the Park After Party.

featuredpick

Fri.-Sun. Aug. 10-12, Noon
Various Venues in Downtown San Jose
$5

San Jose Jazz Fest

WHO WANTS JAZZ?:
Representatives from the old and new schools should each find plenty to enjoy at this year's Jazz Festival, which offers performances by more than 100 bands and 1,000 musicians, including headlining R&B singer Angie Stone. Concertgoers can also expect a more visually oriented festival than in years past: Attendees will be encouraged to take pictures and videos for display around the festival and on the web, and Pacific Arts Collective will be creating live art such as graffiti walls.

Exodus

UGLIER THRASH:
After all the ups and downs for the last 25 years, thrash metal pioneers Exodus continue to boil with seething darkness. Back in the early to mid-'80s, along with bands like Metallica, Slayer and Megadeth, Exodus invented a brand new genre of faster, heavier, uglier metal now universally known as thrash. During those days you honestly felt like you were right smack in the middle of some insane toxic music that was just beginning to brew, whatever it was, and the San Francisco Bay Area quickly became the undisputed world capital of thrash. Then Metallica broke worldwide and everything changed, for better or worse, depending on who you talk to. One has to be impressed that a band like Exodus is still keen on doing venues like the Blank Club in San Jose, when just last year they were gallivanting all across Europe for the zillionth time.

Cool Kids Party @ Fahrenheit

COOL CLIQUE:
For a South Bay party that is anything but the usual San Jose shindig, join the club-happy crowd at Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge on Friday night for a Cool Kids Party. Mike Jones hosts this see and be seen party filled with sexy people in Fahrenheit's ultra-chic atmosphere. Tear up the dance floor with DJ Guizie (From the DJ duo Rock-it! Scientists) spinning hip-hop, hyphy and Top 40 hits. Gain free admission by joining Fahrenheit's Coolkids Clique in advance. Every second Friday, all of the cool kids are at Fahrenheit Ultra Lounge.

Buck-O-Nine

SKA FEST:
Amidst the ska craze of the late '90s, Buck-O-Nine stood out as one of the coolest bands on the scene. But after 2000, little was seen or heard from the San Diego-based band. While Buck-O-Nine did stop touring full-time, the band still regularly plays shows in the United States and Hawaii.. At times using their iMac's built-in microphone to record their ska-punk, Bomb the Music Industry blends a range of experimental influences and instruments into their music. Fellow ska musicians Monkey and Flip the Switch also fill the bill for an upbeat night that's sure to have everyone at the Bottom of the Hill skankin' it to their heart's delight.

880 South

WHITE REGGAE:
Maybe Sublime started the whole white reggae thing back in the early '90s (or at least took it to the mainstream), but even Bradley Nowell and his Long Beach posse couldn't have guessed where it'd be almost 20 years later. With bands like Pepper and Slightly Stoopid scoring commercial success, the road is paved for more funky rasta-rock to hit the big time. And who's next in line? Our vote is 880 South, the San Jose quartet that blends reggae, soul and rock & roll into an alluring fusion of feel-good sound and sun-bleached melody. Opening for 880 South is another Bay Area reggae-funk outfit with plenty of potential, the Whiskey Avengers.

Aubrey of Danity Kane @ Vivid

DIDDY'S GIRL:
Since proving to the world that she could make P. Diddy's all-girl super band Danity Kane, Aubrey O'Day has launched into superstardom. Originally from San Francisco, O'Day attended UC-Irvine before auditing for Making the Band 3. Aubrey is currently recording the follow-up to Danity Kane's smash-hit first album and is rumored to be writing and producing one of the album's tracks. On Friday night O'Day makes an appearance at Vivid. Also enjoy fresh beats as DJ KY and DJ Komodo spin all of the latest hip-hop and Top 40.

The Redwalls

BEATLE KIDS:
Indie rock has invaded everywhere imaginable, infiltrating every music outlet and impressionable young person in sight. San Francisco has become a bit of a hub for the indie scene, so what better place for the Chicago-based Redwalls to play along with a few friends? The band brings their indie rock to Café du Nord on Friday night. Heavily influenced by the Beatles, the Redwalls were originally a cover band playing tunes by the legendary rockers. A few months into the stint, the band decided they wanted to write their own music and thus began the Redwalls. Today the band has released two albums and appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Not too shabby for a group of shaggy dudes living the indie life. Magic Bullet and Mark Mallman also perform.

Hilary Duff

ARE YOU TOUGH ENOUGH FOR THE DUFF?:
Lizzie McGuire is all grown up, and in her place is Hillary Duff, the actor-turned singer and one-woman marketing genius. From hit albums to movies to perfumes, Hillary Duff has managed to break out of the Disney realm, capturing both young and old fans with her polished new image and good-girl behavior. At just 19 years old, the starlet earns more than $10 million a year and manages to keep herself away from the train wrecks that are Lindsay Lohan and Brittany Spears. This Saturday, Duff performs at the Concord Pavilion with soft-rock crooners Lifehouse. In 2000, Lifehouse's song "Hanging by a Moment" became the No. 1 song on Top 40 radio stations, crossing over from alternative radio and winning Billboard's Top 100 Single of the Year. The band broke the sophomore slump with their 2005 self-titled album featuring the hit
"You and Me." The pop stars team up for this show to make preteens squirm.

Sat. Aug. 11, 8pm
The Jungle
542 High St, Palo Alto
Free

The New Trust

DARK PATH:
Josh Staples recently left the highly acclaimed indie-rock trio the Velvet Teen, and his creative impulse has clearly been rekindled by focusing on his own material. Dark Is the Path Which Lies Before Us is a collection of tight, well-crafted songs with a chaptered thread of recurring themes and an ominous undercurrent of personal, political and global betrayal. This is a grandiose maneuver for a band whose debut EP (2003's We Are Fast Moving Motherfuckers, We Are Women and Men of Action) clocked in at an instantly classic 18-minutes of short, sharp shock; they've now come up with something that reads like a director's screenplay as much as it sounds like a fantastically fresh rock & roll record.

Tortilla Soup

A DASH OF EVERYTHING:
Assembled from the disbanded members of Tower of Power and Latin super-group Malo, Tortilla Soup is a little jazz, a little rock & roll and a whole lot of funk melded together to create one tasty, mouth-watering musical stew. Led by former Malo bassist Ramiro Amador and trumpet master Robert Payne, Tortilla Soup covers everything from salsa-inspired grooves and blues-rock ballads to all-out funk. The 10-piece outfit strives to create "el sabor de la musica," and one listen to these guys play proves they ain't lying. Catch the all-star instrumentalists Saturday night at the Mexican Heritage Plaza in San Jose.

Jonah Johnson and Gerald Lee

LAID-BACK:
Resonant Frequency Records, a local label, presents a post-Jazz Fest event to raise money for South Bay Live, an organization seeking to revitalize the live music scene in the South Bay. The Bay Live compilation album features both of the evening's performers. Jonah Johnson is an R&B singer who appeared in the WB reality show Waiting to Be Discovered, while Gerald Lee, formerly of Lifted Roots, is a singer/songwriter in the vein of Jack Johnson and will be releasing his debut EP on Sunday.

NORTHERN LIGHTS:
This Saturday, Conjunto Primavera taps a cavalcade of Mexican regional music stars rolling through the San Jose Convention Center. Their latest CD for Fonovisa Records is titled El Amor Que Nunca Fue (The Love That Never Was), and continues to further an already impressive career trajectory by spawning several hit singles. The group began in 1978 as a traditional conjunto, playing accordion squeezebox classics around Ojinaga, Chihuahua, from which they hail. But something happened along the way that broke the mold. Blessed with the melodious voice of Tony Melendez, the group started taking on Latin pop romantic ballads and presenting them in a conjunto style. It caught on, and in 1996 they signed with Fonovisa Records, which has since propelled them to the stars with more than 25 albums on the imprint. Los Huracanes Del Norte and El Chapo De Sinaloa also perform. (Jesse 'Chuy' Varela)

Russian Idols @ Avalon

IDOLS, NOT DOLLS:
Let the international love affair begin with Russian Idols (ripping off the American Idol idea) having their competition finals and an ultimate summer party at Avalon Nightclub. The Saturday night event features DJ Playdoughboy and Novoe Radio Live. The top five Russian idols will be performing live onstage and the (American) audience will be voting for the first-ever Russian Idol. Who knows why a Santa Clara audience should choose the Russian Idol, but since it's a hot party and will have hot Russian women, it's worth a look.

Creedence Clearwater Revisited

THE CREEDENCE CLEARWATER ULTIMATUM:
The original Creedence Clearwater Revival disbanded in 1973, and although there were several solo projects, it wasn't until 1995 that bassist Stu Cook and drummer Doug Clifford starting gigging as Creedence Clearwater Revisited. The two former CCR (that's Revival) members took on three new musicians to complete their band and even released an album titled Recollection. The new CCR tour internationally, playing classic Creedence Clearwater Revival songs despite John Fogerty's attempts to stop them from using the original material. Cook and Clifford have pulled through and maintain the legacy of the Rock & Roll Hall of Famers they were as the original CCR.

Rx Bandits

LATE SUMMER PRESCRIPTION:
Ska and rock are the perfect sounds for summer--laid-back, fun and delivering good vibes to everyone. At Sunday's Boardwalk show in suburban Orangevale, Rx Bandits, Fall of Troy and Maps and Atlases generate ska and indie rock sounds for a sweet summer concert. Hailing from the same southern California music scene as No Doubt and Reel Big Fish, Rx Bandits have been playing their eclectic brand of ska, punk and reggae for more than a decade. Fall of Troy adds a progressive-rock element to the show with their melodic vocals and Rush-inspired music. Indie rock from Chicago is supplied by Maps and Atlases with a sound proclaimed by band members as "soup cans strung together chasing a Cadillac." Enjoy the sounds of summer, as Labor Day is fast approaching.

Talib Kweli

DON'T CALL IT A COMEBACK:
Is it too early to declare Talib Kweli a comeback kid? The MC, who showed much promise a decade back on his early singles and on Black Star, the album he released with fellow squandered-talent acolyte Mos Def, seemed to jump the rails a long time ago, but it appears he may be back on track. Kweli has embraced the sort of over-commercialized mainstream sound he once savaged on songs like "Manifesto," but not all mainstream hip-hop is necessarily
crap, and Kweli is doubtlessly a talented MC whatever approach he takes. Still, there's a lot riding on his upcoming release, Eardrum--his underground fans have long turned away from his more overt mainstream moves, but the pop world hasn't exactly embraced him, either. The die-hards that once looked to Kweli to return hip-hop to some mythical noncommercial state will likely be disappointed, but for the open-minded, word has it Eardrum shows Kweli at the top of his game.

Syndicate of Sound (and the Odd Numbers)

LITTLE GIRL BAND:
We've all heard lots of songs on the radio for the hyperbolic "millionth time," but Syndicate of Sound, a San Jose band from the '60s, is about to celebrate the literal millionth time their song "Little Girl" has been played on the radio. An old video of them playing "Little Girl" at Fisherman's Wharf in Monterey is up on YouTube (with 25,537 views and counting), but more interesting than the numbers is the song itself--a simple, quirky little hand-clapper with surprisingly angry lyrics disguised by the song's happy-go-lucky feel. I just hope they still wear those dapper suits. The Odd Numbers, Billy the Kid and Black Pearl also perform.

TEMPTED:
Back in the '70s, an English band called Squeeze eked out a little niche somewhere between the New Wave pop rock of Elvis Costello and the British synth-pop of the Human League, but ironically scored their biggest hit with the comparatively earthy and soulful "Tempted." Founding members Chris Difford and Glenn Tilbrook put the show back on the road, employing the help of longtime bassist John Bentley and other members of Tilbrook's touring band. (Mike Connor)

Bowling for Soup

POP PUNK:
Comedic rockers Bowling for Soup share the bill with Quietdrive and Army of Freshman for a show that will have pop rockers loving life. Best known for their odes to teen awkwardness and women who can't let go of their glory years, Bowling for Soup's upbeat rock is danceable and playful. The boys from Texas have enjoyed success from their hits "Girl All the Bad Guys Want" and " 1985." Joining the show are lifelong best friends Quitedrive from Minneapolis who have been playing pop punk together since high school. Southern California punkers Army of Freshman and Melee also play this pop-punk-filled evening.

Detroit Cobras

DETROIT ROCK CITY:
It's time to take it back to garage rock, where many bands get their start. Garage rockers Detroit Cobras, Willoz and rockabilly musician Dan Sartian gather together to play the Blank Club on Saturday. Influenced by Motown and other retro soul music, Detroit Cobras are made up of two powerhouse females and a few good men. Adding a bit of a different flavor to the show is the Birmingham-based rockabilly artist Dan Sartian. Willoz also plays, adding their garage rock that incorporates '60s blues and soul for a smooth yet edgy sound. If you don't like driving to the city to see your favorite bands, be happy that these bands are hitting San Jo for $5 less.

--Capsules that were taken from the Metroactive Club Newsletter were written by: RO, AL, SL, DB, MC & GW